One of the more robust vocalists we’ve heard of late is that of singer-songwriter Earl Agustin. With a brand new single out, we think it’s time the Pinoy pop-listening audience takes notice of this rising music act.

23 years old and hailing from Mindanao, Earl Agustin was discovered by a Vicor A&R exec three years ago when the former was featured in a Coke Studio special. Earl had already released a single at the time and was subsequently signed to the storied label. Fast forward to February 2023, Earl released his first proper label debut with “Dalangin.” The single was a grooving, head-bobbing single that displays Earl’s predilection for soul and 70s 70-inspired sounds. Initial listeners likened Earl’s vocal styling to that of fellow southerner Arthur Nery, to which Earl, at the time, was acknowledged as a role model in terms of artistry and career trajectory. Listeners, too, got their first notice of Earl when the singer used to fill in for Nery’s vocal part on the Janine-Arthur hit “Pelikula” during live gigs. A quick follow-up single was released the same year in June with “Tibok,” a mid-tempo, R&B-flavored romp that Earl and his producers had modeled after (at least the vibe of) Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars’ “Leave The Door Open.” While not scoring a hit, Earl at least finished 2023 with millions of streams for “Dalangin” and a growing fan base eager for what comes next.

Earl Agustin’s next release would be the mid-tempo R&B love song “Dito Sa’kin” that the singer released last March. Earl’s style would borrow from OPM this time out but is still rooted in the R&B and soul sounds he loves. Listening to “Dito Sa Akin” now, Earl’s sound is more akin to the Pinoy-flavored soul that Janno Gibbs plied in his early days. Nevertheless, Earl is slowly but surely coming into his own as a songwriter and vocalist, and his listeners are taking better notice.

This leads us to his brand new song, “Aya.” In an interview, Earl would describe himself as “passionate, soulful and tenacious” and his music equally “soulful, vintage and real.”  The same applies to “Aya,” with its obvious nod to 70’s R&B-tinged pop echoing in its bones.  “I feel like I resonate with this particular genre,” Earl says, adding: “I am able to articulate my artistry and soulfulness in these music styles.” Ditto, Earl’s vocals couldn’t be any cleaner and clearer with his message and delivery. “I was inspired by love and I thought how beautiful it is to be in love, in spite of the pain it inevitably comes with. I still find it beautiful.”

For sure, Earl sings R&B like he's sending a love letter to a bygone era, with loving respect to the style and to the giants of the genre who have gone before and whose shoulders he stands on now. Think Rico J. Puno, Jaya, Janno Gibbs, South Border, and more.

And he’s only getting started.

Rap group ALLMO$T is back in the pop winners circle with “Boyfriend.” The rap quartet – rappers Crakky and Russell, and hook singers Clien and Jom—are in the thick of it again with this ear-candy rap number. The track is currently blowing up, and to date, it has over 11 million streams on Spotify alone since it was released only last June. A big friggin’ deal indeed! The quartet’s work ethic has always been its biggest asset, and true enough, they’ve just released a fresh single in “Letter X."